Dining Out: Mutiny Bar and Kitchen, Sandside, Scarborough

Rebecca Lumby

While enjoying a bracing walk along the foreshore one evening, the distinctive black and red signage for Mutiny caught my eye - a new place to eat, I thought, brilliant!

So, after spending a busy weekend with friends and family, my partner and I decided to skip on the cooking and head down to Mutiny Bar and Kitchen on Sandside to give it a try.

Dashing in from the cold we were greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere. I had booked a table so I headed straight to the bar to speak to a friendly member of staff who showed us to a booth near the window.

Once settled I had a chance to scan the spacious area decked with plenty of tasteful wooden tables, chairs and booth-style seating accompanied by ambient lighting, all in keeping with the contemporary décor. To top it off Sunday is live music night so we were treated to a talented musician who sang some gentle yet soulful ballads while we ate.

Perusing the menu, I noticed that there weren’t any starters as such but plenty of sharing dishes, so we opted for the Nachos; we were, in fact, asked on ordering whether we wanted it as a starter.

The dish was huge and would have shared easily between three or four people. Just the thing if you pop in for a couple of drinks and a light bite. The tortilla chips were piled high, smothered in tangy salsa and oozing lots of lovely mozzarella and cheddar cheese. This came with a pot of sour cream and one of guacamole. It was good value for money. Next time I would be tempted to try the Spicy Jalapeno Bites.

Once we had finished, we were asked if we were ready for the chef to start our main dishes - a good sign that the food is fresh and cooked to order, but also we didn’t feel rushed in any way.

The menu has lots to choose from, and you can even build your own burger or create a pizza. All reasonably priced.

I opted for traditional fish and chips which came with a slice of bread and butter, I chose wholemeal, and a large wedge of lemon. The haddock was an impressive size and sat proudly on top of a bed of golden chips. The sublime, succulent pieces of fish were cooked to perfection in a light, crispy beer batter and melted in your mouth. For an extra 50p you could add garden or mushy peas or tartare sauce, but it was fine on its own with a squeeze of lemon.

My partner ordered the Chicken Fajita Sizzler from the specials board. It arrived on a sizzling hotplate. The tender pieces of chicken breast tossed in Cajun spices were cooked with strips of pepper and onion and served alongside two large warm tortilla wraps. Three individual pots of salsa, sliced green chillies and sour cream accompanied the dish. He said they were probably some of the best fajitas he’d tasted, and the meal was light yet filling. Fresh ingredients make all the difference, and you can tell that Mutiny prides itself on this.

Unfortunately we were too stuffed to have a dessert, which was a shame as there were a couple that caught my eye, maybe next time. I highly recommend Mutiny Bar and Kitchen for its delicious food and warm hospitality.